The Yule Log remains a hit in sunny (well, it was sunny on Christmas day!) Southern California -- although the novelty may be wearing off.
According to this year's ratings, KTLA won the televised head-to-head Yule Log race from 4-10 a.m. on Christmas morning, averaging 96,000 viewers. KCAL averaged 46,000 viewers. Both were down from last year, when KTLA averaged 103,000 viewers and KCAL averaged 63,000 viewers.
KCAL's viewership peaked with 110,000 viewers from 12:15-12:30 a.m. (second in the time period) and 111,000 viewers from 8:45-9:00 a.m.; KTLA's viewership peaked with 207,000 viewers from 8:15-8:30 a.m.
KCAL (which first brought the tradition to Los Angeles in 2004) aired its Yule Log starting at midnight as Christmas Eve turned into Christmas Day, and continued the tradition until 10 a.m. KTLA ran its log from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m.
KTLA and KCAL face more competition these days for Yule Log supremacy, as the televised image of a crackling fire is now available all over the place, including on demand and online.
The TV Yule Log was first created by New York's WPIX-TV. The TV station made the yule log an annual tradition from 1966 to 1989, originally using a shot of the fireplace at New York's Gracie Mansion. Late WPIX general manager Fred Thrower came up with the idea when he realized that most of New York's apartment dwellers didn't have fireplaces.
WPIX brought the tradition back to New York in 2001, and it eventually made its way to Los Angeles, where KCAL and KTLA now battle every year for yule log ratings supremacy.
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